Thirteen Words
by Jyo-Chan
Summary: Thirteen words; Thirteen lives. Each life is what you make of it. Axel x Roxas.


Thirteen words; Thirteen lives. Each life is what you make of it. Axel x Roxas.

…I got bored, so I decided to experiment with word prompts. Everybody was bound to do one anyways. And I'm actually pretty happy with how it turned out. Lawls.

So, despite how short (and weird probably) it is, I hope you all will enjoy it anyway.

Oh, and uh, I suppose you can consider this a sort of a uhh...Thanksgiving one-shot?

I don't celebrate Thanksgiving where I come from. But I wanted to post something anyway. So cheers!

**And EDIT!!! I ACCIDENTALLY STUCK THE ONE-SHOT IN THE FRENCH SECTION. THAT WAS STUPID OF ME AND I AM SORRY! **

**But seriously, you didn't have to send me hate mail, it was an honest mistake. A simple note would've sufficed not some nasty words in French...**

**Disclaimer** - I wonder if I'd get in trouble for using Axel's catchphrase, since, you know, he's not of my own creation… But one more time wouldn't hurt. 記憶したか。

* * *

1. Foam

"What? You don't like it?" Axel asked with raised eyebrows as he took a sip of his own strawberry milkshake.

The blond made a slight face as he pushed the drink away after only having the first sip, "It has a weird texture."

The red head chuckled as he shook his head in disbelief; leave it up to Roxas to pick on the bad stuffs, "It's just flavored milk, how bad can it be?" he asked as he pulled out the straw from his own drink, stuck it into the blonds' barely touched plain vanilla milkshake and then took a large sip of it.

The blond watched as the level of his drink, milkshake, froth and foam, sank down little by little.

But honestly, if Axel liked it so much, how bad can it really be?

2. Fume

The first time he met Number Eight, the smirking man with eyes of an absolute green and hair of pure red, Roxas couldn't help but pick up the fumes that seem to permeate from the other.

It wasn't until his first training lesson with the other that he realized that Number Eight, who liked to be called Axel, was the wielder of fire and flames and that he smelt of ashes.

3. Surface

There was a new kid in town, the new kid in school.

He was a short one, that new guy. Quiet too. And Axel wasn't sure what to make of the new guy except for the fact that he looked cute, especially with the slight scowl on his face whenever he turned to the red head's particular direction and caught the other staring at him.

Axel wondered what the kid would look like if he smiled.

Probably sunshine and gumdrops all over the place.

The blond liked to stick to himself. Didn't like to hang around crowds of people, however big or small. Axel figured that maybe the blond was just shy, only to later find out that it wasn't the case.

Like all people, himself included, they like new things. And Roxas was a new thing. Pretty interesting too. What with his aloof attitude, neutral point of views to everyone and everything, smart remarks to whoever talked about him behind his back despite the fact that he was standing _right there_, and a good left and right hook to boot.

The kid was a really quiet one, only speaking when asked to, and choosing to isolate himself for the better company of books and music.

It's been almost about a month since Roxas had moved over from Twilight Town over to Hollow Bastion Academy. Nobody ever went to talk to him. It was almost useless, since the blond would never talk to you in the end, and you'd feel awkward and always eventually make an awkward try at a farewell and then disappear from his life forever.

Axel thought that Roxas was a pretty interesting guy, cute too. But what was even _more_ interesting was that he wasn't doing anything to weasel his way into the blonds' life and heart.

Maybe it was his instincts telling him to back off for a while, give the kid a break you know? He just moved from what could've been his first home.

So that was what he did. Despite the fact that his libido was seriously taking a beating. But what the fuck ever.

And then one day, almost out of the blue, Roxas started talking to him. Granted it was only about what happened the previous day during class because he had to skip out yesterday due to a nasty sudden cold.

The blonds' nose was still a little red and his eyes were still a little blood-shot. Sure it wasn't romantic, but hell, it was good enough for him at the moment.

"Pages 13 to 21 for stats and chapters 4 to 8 for English." the red head replied as he recalled his previous night's homework.

Roxas sniffed nonchalantly as he committed his new homework to memory,  
"Thanks." he gave a small smile before he walked away to who knows where, probably towards the library to get a start on the homework he missed out on yesterday.

Axel watched as the kid disappeared from his view.

He only knew four things about the kid; he was interesting, he was cute, he had a nice voice, and a pretty good-looking smile.

It wasn't a lot, but all Axel knew was that he was just breaking the surface of something more.

4. Rag

Roxas wasn't a huge fan of classical instruments. He liked all the loud stuffs. The songs with hard metal, wicked shredding, ear-popping rhythm and melody.

On the day that he accidentally left his iPod player at home, he was left feeling deaf and silenced.

And then he started to hear the piano playing a tune, jittery and flowing at the same time.

But when he poked his head in through the opened music door, he was left speechless because he spotted his best friend playing on the piano with music scores laid all over the place.

Eventually, he learnt that Axel was a big fan of rag-time-tunes, and he learned to like the piano.

5. Salvation

The one time that Roxas was sent to go on a mission alone, he had been somewhat 'excited' about it since it would be his first time going at things alone, and he'd be able to prove, to nobody in particular, that he was worth something.

But halfway through his mission, after a few twists and turns and pit-falls, he found himself at the mercy of a fairly large heartless on the look-out for the darkness in his non-existent heart.

He hadn't given up, not just yet, but just as he got up to fight again, his salvation came in a blast of flames and his blue eyes met a smirking green.

6. Traffic

He had nobody to blame but himself. Blame his indecision and his sudden inability to think straight and make the right choice.

Now, he was stuck in the middle of traffic, which shouldn't be all too surprising because it was peak hour, but dammit. The wedding just started and at this rate, he was going to miss it.

He needed to stop him. Stop him from making the biggest mistake of his life.

He needed to stop the wedding.

"Fucking _move_!!" Roxas shouted out as he punched the horn on the steering wheel and willed the cars in front to move faster, but it failed.

Eventually, after copious amounts of cursing and crude swearing, he finally exhausted himself out as he leaned back into his seat and grabbed his hair with an air of desperation and frustration.

"Shit."

Maybe he deserved to be left alone, deserved to be stuck out in traffic while Axel, his best friend whom he had loved for the past few years, got married to a girl who didn't even seem to fit him. There was no balance in their relationship. None what so ever.

But Axel was happy with Larxene, and if Axel was happy, then Roxas would just have to swallow his own selfish needs and desires and let him go while his heart broke in two and sank into oblivion.

"…Shit…"

He couldn't help but wonder what he did to deserve being left behind.

7. Crisis

Roxas knew what the word meant. Obviously, it meant that there was trouble a-brewing somewhere, and that it should only be used in a certain context. Say, a conversation, or a dire, life-threatening circumstance.

But it was apparent that Axel didn't particularly think of the same word in the same context. Because his 'crisis' happened to be when he failed to save a game file after three hours of constant playing.

8. Goodbye

He wasn't great with farewells and goodbyes. That had been why he had just been planning to pack up and leave without a word and never look back. Not even once for a last glimpse of his past.

Roxas was somewhat surprised when, as soon as he got out of the door of his house, messenger bag over his shoulder and another bag in his hand, that he came face to face with his best friend who looked a little torn and a little heartbroken.

"Axel…" the blond didn't know why he lost his voice so suddenly.

Saddened green eyes gazed into a sky blue, and his heart twisted, "…Guess your mind's made up?" the red head asked with a slight quirk of his lips.

Guiltily, the blond looked away, looked away from eyes that bore right into his soul and cried out for him.

This was why he hated goodbyes and farewells. Because he knew that he'd never be able to leave if there was anybody there to give him false hope.

"Yeah." Roxas spoke as he closed the door behind him and shuffled past the red head without looking up.

He almost got away. But nothing ever went according to plan.

"…So I guess this is goodbye?"

The blond paused in his steps, but kept his back facing the other.

He didn't want to look back; into eyes of betrayed green and a broken soul.

This was why he hated goodbyes and farewells. Because it hurt far too much.

But this was his choice, he needed to do this. Or else he'd never be able to move on towards the future. So with determination and a head held high, he turned around and stared into eyes of the purest of greens.

He smiled, albeit on the small side, "See you later Axel."

Suddenly, hope rose from within a broken soul and was reborn again. Eyes lit up and a smile tugged on the red head's lips.

"See ya later, partner."

9. Lobby

As he sat in one of the many chairs that littered about the room, he couldn't help but tap his shoe on the ground in an incessant, nonsensical rhythm. He felt agitated, and worried, and the white, white rooms of the hospital didn't help him all too much.

He hated the place. It reeked of death. It was around every corner, hiding in every shadow.

A pained scream rippled through the air and Roxas shot up in his seat, his blue eyes fixed on a closed door.

"Son of a fucking _bitch_!"

Leave it up to Axel to scream stupid obscenities as the doctors tried to pull out the shards of glass in his back after he tried to break up a fight at school only to be pushed out of the second storey window.

"Ow, fucking _ow_!!"

Roxas didn't know whether he should be worried or laugh about it as he waited in the lobby for his best friend to come out with stitches on his back.

10. Pack

He didn't know why he carried it around with him. Since he wasn't big on smoking.

He had only tried it once and immediately regretted it with coughing fits and watery eyes. They told him that he'd get used to it, but he didn't want to become addicted to something that would eventually kill him.

"You're gonna die eventually."

"I know that, but I rather live a healthy life thanks."

His classmate scoffed at him and then shrugged in indifference, "Whatever man, your loss."

He didn't like smoking; hated it actually. Especially since the smoke tends to really sink into your clothes and stink you up pretty good.

But just because he carried around a lighter with him, does that necessarily mean that he's a smoker? It was just a convenience item. He could throw it away anytime he wanted to.

But then again, it was a pretty thing to have and he wasn't too keen on letting it go. So he kept the silver lighter, the one with flames crawling up on all sides, and flicked it on whenever his pyromania urges came around, which was pretty often whenever he was under a load of stress or whenever he just wanted something to do.

His thumb flicked over the cap and a flash of fire appeared in his peripheral vision, his blue eyes focusing on nothing in particular ahead of him.

He released the switch, and the fire died.

The blond stared down and opened up the hand that was holding onto the silver lighter, the metal was warm, no doubt after being held onto for so long.

He found it on his way back home from school one day about a month ago. It had initials on it, but Roxas was sure a lot of people's names started with A.

Something flashed from the corner of his eyes and a hand, holding onto a pack of cigarettes, appeared in front of him, "Need a smoke?"

It startled the blond just a little, but not enough to make him jump out of his skin. He shook his head and turned to the holder, "No thanks, I don't actually smoke."

Thin, red eyebrows rose just a little higher and a look of disbelief crossed the man's face, "Oh really? I would've thought otherwise." he mumbled as his lips kept a cigarette balanced in between then shrugged as he slipped the pack of cancer sticks back into the pocket of his jacket.

The blond had to re-think his sense of logic. Maybe holding onto a lighter _does_ associate you as a smoker.

The red headed stranger continued to talk, "Nice zippo by the way, I have one just like it." he commented as he pulled out a cancer stick away from his lips and a slow, steady stream of smoke exited and then quickly added, "Oh well, _had_ one actually. I lost it a couple of months back." he shrugged again as he brought the cigarette back to his lips and took a light drag.

Roxas found it a little weird how a stranger could easily converse with another stranger. It wasn't as if they've met before. But he ignored it as he stared down at the lighter in his hand and tilted it to the side just a little to reveal the initials of a person's name.

_A.F_

"What's your name?" he found himself suddenly asking without permission.

"Axel." the other replied without missing a beat and added belatedly, "Why?"

"Last name starts with 'F'?" Roxas skipped the question as he flicked the lighter on one last time.

"Yup, how did you know?" Axel asked, starting to get just a little suspicious now.

"This must be your lighter then. I found it about a month or so ago." the blond offered as he closed the zippo and handed it back.

"Oh." he seemed a little shocked, and amused at the same time, "Well, actually, I got myself another one." he smirked as he fingered around his pocket a little and produced another lighter, almost identical except with a few changes, "You can keep that one. Lighter fluid was almost out anyway."

Roxas retracted his arm back to its previous position but kept staring at the hand that continuously flicked the new lighter on and off again.

"Anyways," the red head started again as he pocketed back his lighter, "Thanks for offering it back and all, but I gotta go."

The blond raised an eyebrow, only just slightly. It wasn't as though there was anything to hold the other back.

The red head smirked as he took one step to merge back into the crowded sidewalk of the city, "Here's something else for you to keep." he spoke as he pulled something out from his pocket and gently shoved it into the blonds' chest as he walked past.

Roxas stumbled back a little as his hands automatically reached up for the item. He looked down, then immediately looked up again to see the red head, whose name started with A, turn the corner.

In addition to the lighter that he found, and was now allowed to keep for himself, there was now an added pack of smokes.

11. Brake

"Seriously?" the red head laughed as he kept his eyes focused on the road, only sending the blond a glimpse every once in a while.

"I'm serious!" Roxas cried out as he ran his fingers through his hair and then grabbed it in agitation, "Shit, I can't believe I did that!"

Axel laughed even harder, despite the scowl on his best friend's face, "Shit Roxas, that was totally smooth."

Talk about sarcasm with a capital S.

"Shut up and keep driving." he huffed as he sank into his seat a little lower and continued to glower.

The red head ignored the comment as he shifted gears and slowed down to a stop at the red lights, "Honestly, you should've just done what you do best."

"Which is what?" the blond snapped as he turned to Axel and dared him to continue.

"Should've just kept quiet and kept your mysterious aura." he laughed again and almost stalled the car when the lights turned back to green.

Roxas rolled his eyes as he turned to look out the window of his side only to suddenly freeze, "Axel!" he shouted as he braced one hand on the glove compartment and the other on the window and watched as a car continued to speed towards them.

Out of second nature, the red head hit the brakes.

A symphony of two cars shattered the air.

12. Equal

Everything was about giving and taking. You can't just take and take and take and give nothing back in return. It doesn't work that way or vice versa.

Everything was about balance. Everything was about equal trade.

You do something for me, I do something for you. Easy as lemon pie.

"What does lemon pie have anything to do with this Axel."

"I'm trying to explain something Rox."

"Then get on with it." he growled as he crossed his arms with a huff and waited for the red head to get to the point. "Just tell me what you want."

"I want your first-born child."

"What?"

"Just kidding." the red head smirked and barely managed to dodge the punch that came flying his way.

"Axel." Roxas warned as he got himself ready to land a nasty right hook.

"Ok, ok." he raised his hands in mock defeat and smiled apologetically, which wasn't actually much, "I just need your help finding out something."

"I'm not helping you with your damn homework again." he retorted quickly as he folded his arms over his chest.

"That's not it."

"Then?" he spat out, almost impatiently.

Axel sighed, it didn't seem as though Roxas was willing to go through with this, but he needed to try, he _had_ to try, "This is really important to me Roxas, seriously. You do this for me, and I'll do something as equally important for you."

The blond seemed suspicious for a moment, but at the same time, genuinely curious. Never once in his life, since he had known the red head, had he ever seen the other so…anxious yet determined at the same time, the other usually did things himself rather than ask somebody else for help, "Even if what I ask you to do is something stupid?"

"As long as it's important to you."

"Ok…fine. What is it?"

Green eyes shifted for a moment, as though suddenly uncomfortable, "Maybe you should sit down?"

"Why?"

"Please?"

Reluctantly, the blond did as he was asked and sat down on the bed of the red head's room, "Ok, _now _will you tell me?" he asked impatiently, he had already made plans to hang out with Naminé that night and he wasn't exactly willing to ditch her for Axel, even if he _was_ his best friend.

"Close your eyes."

The blond frowned, "Axel, I am warning you now, if you're gonna do something-"

"I swear I'm not gonna do anything stupid. I just need to make sure of something."

"Why do you need me?"

Something inside of him snapped, why the hell was Roxas being so uncooperative? "Because!" he started with a shout but restrained himself from screaming at the top of his lungs, "Because you're the only one who can help me!" he cried out and let out a frustrated sigh, "Why do you keep--Guh! It's ok, never mind. Forget it." he gave up and was about to storm out of his room in absolute, defeated rage when the blond tossed a pillow to the back of his head.

Roxas was only mildly surprised that the spikes didn't make the pillow stick. Shows that they weren't as hard as they seemed.

Smoldering green met infuriated blue.

"Fine! Just get it over and done with." the blond huffed as he closed his eyes with a slight furrow of his eyebrows.

There was silence, and for a moment, Roxas had been pretty sure that Axel was just pulling on an act and was smirking at him or was maybe getting ready to pounce on him. But just as he was about to open his eyes again, he felt the bed slowly sink beneath the weight of someone else beside him and he squeezed his eyes tight.

When nothing happened, and no words were spoken, the blond was just about to question the red head's motives when warm fingers touched his cheeks and he opened his eyes to stare into green.

"Axel, what're you-"

"Please."

Roxas snapped his mouth shut, along with his eyes. Never once in the time he had known Axel, in the small glimpse he saw of the other, had he ever seen such an expression on the red head's face. Not once had he ever heard a voice so full of…an unnamed emotion.

Desperation maybe?

The blond felt fingers touch the skin beneath his ears, behind his head, right at the very base of his skull. He didn't know when he stopped breathing.

"Axel…?" he whispered out unknowingly, feeling himself tense and relax at the same time.

"Shh…"

Roxas felt something breeze over his lips, and he almost knew what was to come, but a certain part of him denied it. What was Axel trying to do? Why was he doing this? How was this important to him? What was he trying to find out?

Then they kissed.

Slow and sensual, and so full of something they didn't know what. All they knew was that it felt right, and it felt good.

And when they stopped, both short of breath and their foreheads on each other's, their cheeks pink and flushed and eyes gazing into each other's soul. They felt complete.

"…Ok." Axel swallowed, and kept his gaze leveled with Roxas, his fingers entangled in the blonds' hair. They felt a lot softer than they looked. "Thanks. I mean…thank you."

Roxas stared into eyes of green, tried to piece together the jumbled thoughts buzzing through his mind and tried to think of something to do rather than just stare into Axel's eyes. He hadn't noticed that they were that _green_ before.

"…What about your end of the deal?" the blond asked, his voice a little too soft for someone like him.

"Whatever you want." he replied, his voice equally soft.

Roxas nodded, sucked in another breath and leaned in for another kiss.

This was important to him too.

Equal trade right?

13. Affection

He didn't know what that word meant. Not even after he sought out the help of the thesaurus/dictionary. It didn't explain anything. It didn't clarify _anything_.

So he sought out the help of another organization member.

He asked Zexion; he was good with words, he liked to read a lot, surely he must know.

"It means that you feel something for somebody or something."

How is that possible? He doesn't feel, _Nobody_'s don't _feel_, "…That doesn't explain anything. I've read it in the dictionary, it doesn't help."

A fleeting emotion passed the other's only visible eye, annoyance maybe? "Perhaps you should find another to ask your question then."

And then the slate haired Nobody walked away with his lexicon in hand, flipping from one page to another then back again.

He spoke with Luxord, who at the time was busy dealing out cards to the water-user, Demyx.

"Affection is like gambling. Except with emotions. Which is something we don't have, therefore we have nothing to lose." he spoke with a sly smirk and his eyes sparkled.

Roxas still didn't understand. So he turned to Demyx.

"Well, I don't know about you but I like playing my sitar, does that count?"

The short blond raised his head a little, a short flash of confusion passing in his eyes for a moment. In the end, he turned away and sought out the help of someone else.

Someone more capable, although probably not as good with words.

"What is affection?"

Green eyes stared right into blue, "And you are asking me this, why?" Axel asked with a slight raise of his eyebrow.

"Because nobody else has given me a good enough answer." he replied.

The red head smiled, his lips soft, his eyes gleaming with dancing fire, "Give me your hand."

Roxas did as he was told and watched wordlessly and curiously as the other took off his glove and then his own.

"This is what affection is." he spoke softly as he placed his bare hand over the blonds'.

And Roxas felt warmth spread through his fingers, into the palm of his hand, up his arm and fill his body.

And he understood.

* * *

Ahhh, I like the last one, it was _gooooood_…

-is giddy-

-and is suddenly obsessed with word prompts…-

I reckon a few of them could do with some improvements, but tell me which one you like best, yeah?


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